Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo on Monday announced an executive order outlining energy policies for his administration, including the state’s “advancement of energy independence.”

Nevada should develop a diverse energy supply portfolio, the order states, with a focus on affordability, reliability and sustainability. In addition to solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, hydrogen and energy storage, Lombardo envisions a role for natural gas for electric generation and use in homes and businesses.

“The state’s energy policies shall ensure all consumers and businesses continue to have diverse energy options available to them in their homes and businesses, including electric and natural gas service, energy efficiency and renewable energy resources,” the executive order states.

Lombardo, a Republican who last year narrowly defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, who championed clean energy policies, wants enough electric generation developed in the state “to mitigate the risk of energy markets not having sufficient electric energy supplies during peak usage periods.”

At the same time, Nevada should develop transmission and energy infrastructure to make the state a regional leader in exporting its solar, wind and geothermal energy — and to import resources as needed.

Lombardo said the state should keep exploring participation in an organized Western energy market “when such a market furthers Nevada’s objectives of reliability, affordability and sustainability.”

Lombardo wants to promote energy innovation through partnership with universities, industries and others in the state. Job creation and economic development are goals of the policies.

The order calls for streamlining the permitting process for energy projects. State agencies should review applications concurrently rather than tackling them sequentially. The governor will advocate for a similar approach at the federal level.

The order also calls for an overhaul of the Nevada Climate Strategy, adopted in 2020, to reflect the new energy policies.

“Governor Lombardo’s energy policy objectives provide a critical framework for the future of energy in Nevada,” Dwayne McClinton, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy, said in a statement.

Lombardo announced McClinton’s appointment last month. Before starting work as the new GOE director on Feb. 20, McClinton was senior legislative policy adviser at Southwest Gas. He also has experience in the renewable energy industry and worked on Lombardo’s transition team.

The Nevada Conservation League said Monday that the executive order’s support for natural gas was “the wrong direction for Nevada.”

Most of the state’s energy now comes from gas, and high gas prices are causing Nevadan’s utility bills to soar, the League said in calling for a focus on clean energy.

“Nevada has steadily made progress in reducing climate pollution and developing a local clean energy economy,” Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, the League’s deputy director, said in a statement. “Gov. Lombardo should lean in on these efforts and not hold Nevada back by relying on expensive out-of-state fossil fuels.”

Lombardo touched on the topic of energy independence during his state-of-the-state address in January.

“California does not have enough electric generation within its own state to meet its electricity needs — and is now relying on the broader Western electric market to import energy,” the governor said in his address.

“With California retiring its units and changing its transmission rules, we have no choice but to reduce our reliance on the market and seek energy independence for all Nevadans,” he added.

In his new executive order, Lombardo sets as a strategic goal “having our utilities secure sufficient energy supply through dedicated in-state energy resources, including both utility-owned and third-party-owned solar, that ensure reliability for Nevadans.”